Laser microdissection is a method for cutting out (“dissecting”), with the aid of a focused laser beam, selected tissue regions or cells from microscope-examined tissue samples for further analysis. For this, microscopically examined regions of a prepared specimen are visualized on a display in computer-assisted fashion as a digital electronic image. Subregions that are to be analyzed are then marked in the electronic image and separated out.
US 2012/0045790 A1 relates to a variant of so-called “serial section cutting” (SSC). It describes a microdissection method in which a (first) image of a first sample section and a (second) image of a second sample section are generated. Based on a defined target region in the first image, a target region in the second image and in the corresponding second sample section is selected, which region is then cut out, for example, with a laser beam. Properties of two different sample sections are thus transferred in order to define a cut line. Overlaying of the two images ensures that the region of the first image matches that of the second image.
AT 505 669 A4 discloses a method in which a region to be investigated is determined by digital overlaying of an image of a first, untreated prepared section with an image of another, second, treated prepared specimen section from a section stack having multiple tissue sections located behind one another. The second prepared specimen section is adjacent to the first in the section stack and can be, for example, stained in such a way that specific structures can be recognized. The characteristics that were made visible with the aid of staining or other treatment of the adjacent section can be employed, by image overlaying, for selection of the dissection region on the untreated first section. The method thus makes possible dissection in which the dissectate remains untreated, and is thus available in its original state for further analysis.
Adjacent prepared specimen sections in a section stack are similar to one another, but usually not identical in terms of their structure. In addition, the treatment and viewing of different prepared specimen sections generally requires that an image of a first section be captured under a microscope and then removed from the microscope stage before the second prepared specimen section, which in turn must be placed at the identical position, can be viewed. This involves an increased outlay of time and work.